Chronicles of the Grim Fist, part II

Okay, last bit will have to wait until tomorrow.

Spoiler, though: the party encounters their first dragon :-).

This actual play recount is like liquid happy-gold for adventure gaming.

Are the hex-map coordinates for the “1.5 mile” hexes you described in another thread for mapping this region?

I really want to say that I’ve seen those numbers before, but I scanned the two Grim Fist threads and couldn’t find anything.

The numbers refer to the Blank Hex Maps in the download section.

Pegasus Mountain is in hex #1508 (p. 2 map, 6-mile scale) of sector E5 (p. 4 map, 24-mile scale). The whole campaign has thus far occurred entirely in sectors E5 and E6.

The 1.5-mile hexes I referred to elsewhere were all inside hex #1508, and are the method I use for the lowest-level mapping.

For example, Chlodomer spent some time mapping hex #1708, and the new map was at the 1.5-mile scale. To do a 1.5-mile scale, I use the upper-left-most hex on the p. 2 map for my numbering, ignoring any hexes whose number is not inside the hex lines.

So the sub-hex-regions in #1708 look like this:

Azure Hot Springs (#1708)
All regions are thickly forested (except where noted).

#0102: High hill, can see village smoke further west.
#0103: Low hill.
#0201: Small pond surrounded by low cliffs; fed from #0202.
#0202: Narrow ravine (N-S); stream runs through to #0201.
#0203: Ravine spreads out into low area; stream runs through to #0202.
#0204: Spring #1, streams lead downhill into #0203.

Aquatic Hydra: AC 4; Move swim 120; HD 6* (48 hp); #AT 6x bite 1d10 (on a result of 1, the hydra breathes steam with that head instead for 2d6+1 damage); SV F6; ML +2; AL N.
#0301: Low, extremely rocky hill; no real forest. #0302: High hill; spring #2, streams run to #0303.
Aquatic Hydra: AC 4; Move swim 120; HD 12** (96 hp); #AT 12x bite 1d10 (on a result of 1, the hydra breathes steam with that head instead for 2d6+1 damage); SV F12; ML +2; AL N. Regrows 2 heads per lost head after 1d4 rounds.
#0303: Low hill; spring #3, streams run to #0304.
Aquatic Hydra: AC 4; Move swim 120; HD 9* (72 hp); #AT 9x bite 1d10 (on a result of 1, the hydra breathes steam with that head instead for 2d6+1 damage); SV F9; ML +2; AL N.
#0304: Valley; Streams from #0303 continue due south #0401: Low hill. #0402: Highest hill; spring #4, streams run to #0302 and #0403.
Aquatic Hydra: AC 4; Move swim 120; HD 7* (56 hp); #AT 7x bite 1d10 (on a result of 1, the hydra breathes steam with that head instead for 2d6+1 damage); SV F7; ML +2; AL N.
#0403: Steep hill; stream runs through to #0404; waterfalls. #0404: Low point; tiny pond; fed from #0403. #0502: Hill. #0503: Hill.

All four springs are driven by deeper cracks and caves running through the limestone and granite to the subsurface magma in this region, and are connected at the deeper levels. The deepest waters are extremely hot! The springs themselves resemble this rainbow geyser (although they don’t spew up very often).

I’ve deleted the treasure entry because the players haven’t managed to track it all down yet.

Session 20
We took a break for pizza and OOC discussion.

I had originally planned a sort of Quest Award if they managed to clear Pegasus Mountain - whatever was sufficient to bring the lowest to 9th level - and that ends up being about 3.3 million XP (for party + henches as a whole; each PC ends up with about 220K). Since that’s about 1/5th the value of the land they just conquered, it seems reasonable, so I have everyone update their characters.

I don’t enforce the “max gain of one level” rule for this purpose: it’s an intentional rule-breaking to avoid grinding.

Also worth noting: we generated a lot of numbers over the course of these six hours. I’ve tried to cut them down a bit for a readable summary :-).

End of Summer (Month 9)
The end of Summer is relatively peaceful.

Galswintha takes a small party and evaluates the lands they have acquired … and is pleasantly surprised, even accounting for her final efreet wish.

OOC Per the efreet's wish, I rolled 3d3+2 for each six-mile hex, and got an average of 8.5 (about +0.5 over the average). I re-arranged the numbers a bit to make better sense - I swapped Sheltered Wood's high roll for Pegasus Mountain's low roll, for example, to better fit the history of the region - but mostly left them as is.

#1308 (Val.  5): Sheltered Wood
#1309 (Val. 10): Heart of Stone
#1407 (Val.  7): Red Meadow
#1408 (Val.  7): Crevice Wood
#1409 (Val. 11): Slithering River
#1410 (Val.  9): Shadowed Lake
#1507 (Val.  6): Bone Temple Hill
#1508 (Val. 11): Pegasus Mountain
#1509 (Val.  8): Darkwater Wood
#1510 (Val.  10): Oak Circle and Galaufchulis
#1607 (Val.  7): Utena’s Shadow
#1608 (Val.  8): Bugbear Forest Lake
#1609 (Val.  7): Ugly Hill
#1610 (Val. 11): Torn Tree Hill
#1708 (Val. 10): Azure Hot Springs
#1709 (Val.  9): Valley Lake

I am pretty happy with the result.

Chlodomer sends Haramer and Adela to Orléans and Atanung to announce the elimination of the Bandit King.

The Grim Fist as a whole discusses the division of land and duties. Several issues crop up (in particular, Shadagrunde was torn between ruling a domain of his own … and greedily siphoning divine power from Chlodomer’s likely-exceptional domain population), and it starts to look like the obvious choice is to give everything to Chlodomer, but no one wants to actually say that.

In the end, however:

  1. The region as a whole is christened “Galaufabonne” (Galswintha fought for a pegasus themed name, but was outvoted on the basis that the thousand-foot oak was a lot more impressive than the pegasus nest in its branches).

  2. Baron Chlodomer is given the party treasury to build and develop the region. He wisely appoints Galswintha as Treasurer and gives her control of the purse strings.

  3. Baron Chlodomer also declares the Oak Circle a nature preserve: the fortress and garrison will extend over its lands, but no peasant families will be permitted to dwell there. He gives Galswintha the title Guardian of the Wood, and grants her the right to fund a sanctum and garrison with the treasury; and charges her with defending and managing the Oak Circle.

  4. Baron Chlodomer declares the state religion to be the Church of the Lady, and Shadagrunde the Patriarch of Galaufabonne.

  5. Baron Chlodomer nominally appoints Vulfelind as Spy Master, but in practice she spends more time providing military advice and designing the fortresses for Chlodomer and Galswintha.

  6. Guardian Galswintha leaves to acquire engineers and laborers.

  7. Patriarch Shadagrunde takes the army and camps the Dwarven Highway, where he encounters and provides customer service to traveling merchants … and spreads the word.

  8. Spy Master Vulfelind sends henches to check on the state of Orléans and Atanung.

Fall
Chlodomer receives his enchanted armor!

News comes in that Atanung is recruiting and training a military force - best estimate is that they will be done by the end of Winter.

Mages fill out spell repertoires.

Laborers and engineers begin work. Galswintha uses an earth elemental to help with the excavation phase.

The castle is priced at 500,000 gold; Galswintha’s tower at 30,000 … and then she discovers some of the “easter egg” benefits of the efreet wish, and she and Vulfelind sit down and redesign the tower … to the tune of 100,000 gold.

Will it be awesome? With the assistance of the guardian owl and treants, the tower will be part of the Galaufchulis tree itself.

Year 3, Winter
Shadagrunde continues to camp the highway, and amuses himself by examining the length of the dwarven highway, and slowly determines that - within a few miles of the ancient dwarven markers - the highway is mysteriously free of permanent lairs. Monsters always find a reason to move on! He begins to amass a library on the topic.

He also sets up a series of cheap runner outposts and small garrisons in case Atanung makes a military move.

Chlodomer makes a few passes around the borders and puts together a more complete map of the realm; and borrows Deuteria’s services from Galswintha to more thoroughly explore the caves in Azure Hot Springs.

Vulfelind has Veneranda and Almalinda work with the pegasus nests, working to establish a long-term agreement of protection and service. The agreement comes together, and Vulfelind arranges extra food and fodder for the pegasuses through the winter. The end of the cloud giant’s hunting parties also helps seal the deal.

And as winter comes to an end and the year’s first foals hatch, concerned and hopeful pegasus parents watch Almalinda demonstrate her gentle touch in equine training.

Galswintha spends the winter overseeing the construction of her tower.

Spring, Month 4
On the first day of Spring, normally a time of celebration, Atanung soldiers are spotted marching on the dwarven highway. Shadagrunde retreats slowly, keeping an eye on them, and sends runners to Orléans and Galaufabonne.

The army is huge: 2,000 soldiers, mostly light infantry and slingers.

Every two days, the Atanung army splits off a century of infantry and dozen slingers to camp and watch the supply line, while the remainder marches on.

At the midway point, the Grim Fist marches out and demands parley. A discussion is had, and goes poorly: Atanung intends to take Orléans, and tries to capture the Grim Fist to prevent a warning (sadly, they are a week late for that, but the Grim Fist does not enlighten them).

The party flees, goes invisible, and flees again. Rather than stop and spend fruitless days trying to find them, the Atanung army sends word back to the supply camps to fortify, and marches on at speed.

The Grim Fist members have a powow.

  1. Atanung’s army is a problem. A big problem. On lots of levels. 2. Each camp looks about as tough as a bandit camp (which caused losses last time). 3. The main force that arrives at Orléans will be about seven times as big.

Galswintha borrows Veneranda and Fierce on the Wind … and goes to talk to the fairies.

And a few days later, Chlodomer walks into the camp closest to Atanung to parley. He offers the mercenary captain a safe exit back to Atanung, if he leaves immediately. The captain refuses. Chlodomer nods and leaves.

Meanwhile, pixies flit invisible through the camp, cutting saddle straps, unscrewing arrow heads, peace-bonding swords with spider silk, and more. And as soon as Chlodomer is out of the camp, trees attack, followed by cataphracts and heavy infantry. No spells or military oil (they would have used the oil, but had none left) are used, but the initial assault is still brutal, and enemy morale dissolves almost immediately. Chlodomer sends the bulk of soldiers home, but keeps the leaders as well-treated prisoners for ransom.

… and the Atanung runners who tried to run a warning to the next camp discover that light cavalry were waiting for them.

They then repeat this, camp by camp, as fast as they can, over the next several days. Some camps agree to disband and head home; others fight and die. Some losses are inevitable, and Shadagrunde and Team Priest focus on ensuring that it’s more “wounded” than “dead.” When they finally catch up to the main force, Atanung’s military has reached Orléans and is in pitched battle.

Shadagrunde’s initial runners to Orléans were not wasted: instead of a sleeping city, Atanung found a prepared (if small) military force.

For the main force, Chlodomer does not bother with a second attempt at parley, and the pixies refuse to enter an ongoing battle … so the party opens with webs and fireballs and an insect swarm, followed by a sweeping water elemental who puts the fires out.

Then trees. Then archers and cataphracts. Then cavalry and heavy infantry.

One thing is certain: Vulfelind has figured out how to combine soldier types.

When Atanung figures out that killing trees is a waste of time and goes hunting actual treants, they find Chlodomer and his personal guard waiting. Chlodomer finally has an opportunity to enjoy the cleaving rules, as he hews his way through their ranks (fun fact: Chlodomer pretty much can’t miss, and his damage bonus is higher than any standard soldier’s hit points).

Spells of confusion, illusions, and the occasional sniper magic missile help; Galswintha’s water elemental, immune to normal weapons, turns out to be terrifying against light infantry (and Baldaswind in tiger form is possibly more devastating).

Shadagrunde and Team Priest, again, focus on making sure that as many losses as possible are merely wounded, but do take a few moments here and there to bash heads.

Vulfelind and crew make their way through the enemy ranks to find the Atanung General and engage an absolutely epic backstab. He dies with a vaguely puzzled look, before Vulfelind goes down with a massive head wound inflicted by the General’s aide. (The aide lives just long enough to enjoy a moment of glory before Grizzba, screaming incoherent goblin curses, is on him like stink on an ape.)

Trapped between Orléans and the Grim Fist, and suddenly leaderless, the Atanung mercenaries surrender.

First aid fails to recover Vulfelind, and the first restoration of life also
fails: she appears to be well dead. Chlodomer pleads her case to the Governor of Orléans (“We fought well, but she died ending the fight”). Her body is sent to the chief priest of Orléans (who notices that her name is on the roster of “top hundred donations”) and gives his own best attempt.

She remains dead, and he promises to try again each day until it is hopeless, but warns “She died instantly, with a grievous head wound … and she has been distant from us in each attempt. There is a grave and solid chance that she cannot be returned to us.”

As a side note, the party stumbles across a rumor: that the leader of the Orléans Thieves’ Guild died, and there has been an upheaval resulting in a lot of street fighting, assassinations, and counter-assassinations.

Spring
Chlodomer helps hammer out a treaty between Orléans and Atanung. Shadagrunde and crew heal members of their army. Galswintha frets.

On the fourth day of attempts, the Orléans Patriarch declares Vulfelind truly dead. Galswintha declares the Patriarch truly a quack, and sets off to hire the 11th level mage in Orleans to reincarnate Vulfelind … but he doesn’t have that spell.

Then she argues with Vulfelind’s shortsword of luck to no avail:

“Oh no, I don’t think so. You call that epic? How many thieves are in the world? Too many, that’s how many. And wishes? You can’t find them for love or money. And you want to trade a wish for a thief?”

So finally: the corpse is preserved, and Galswintha goes back to the wizard, pays a lot of money for his research, and then more money for the casting

… and Vulfelind is reincarnated into a new body.

She is no longer tall, but short and compact. Her dark olive skin is darker, almost black. Her close-cropped black hair has exploded into a massive mess of shock-white curls. And her dark eyes … are now bright, amber, and slightly feral looking. For a brief moment, it looks more like a predatory spirit has moved into a human body …

Then one lip quirks up in a smirk, and it’s Vulfelind after all.

(OOC: Arctic werefox. Here is Vulfelind in fox form, looking smug.)

With the treaty signed on all sides, the Grim Fist escorts the military force home; gathering up Atanung’s reinforcements along the way, acquires the ransoms, and then returns themselves home, except for Shadagrunde, who keeps watch on the Atanung border.

OOC Break
We took another break here, and looked at the in-game timeline. With a little
fudging, we manage to line up all of the construction (including Galswintha’s sanctum and research facilities, two waystations along the highway, and the central castle) to complete at the beginning of year 5.

My inner DM said to make every year hard, but the truth of the matter is: it is extremely unlikely that any truly threatening encounters will occur, there is a dragon to the south extending some protection, Atanung and Orléans both are nursing wounds, and I wanted to get to the domain game :-).

Vulfelind re-rolled her physical stats on 3d6 in order, rather than King’s method, and … right there in front of everyone, she rolled 13, 18, 16, and calmly wrote it down. These punks these days have no idea.

Arctic Werefox: Based on the Rules Cyclopedia entry; added thief abilities (and an extra * on the HD), which put her at exactly twice a fighter’s XP per level - she won’t see 11th level for a very long time. Allowed a foxman form, similar to the wererat, but restricted it to one-handed human-sized weapons due to small size. Vulfelind finally stops wearing the black widow armor.

Werefox-10: HD 9d8+2**, attack throw 2+, save F10, natural AC 3; Move 180, swim 60; cold-adapted (ignore weather and cold water, but no effect on cold damage). Usual lycanthropy stuff.

Then we skipped to Year 5 and began domain management.

Year 5, Winter
Followers arrive … and they are expensive, but Chlodomer is still uncertain of Atanung, and decides that running some debt now is worth the peace of mind; Galswintha is hesitant, but approves the costs for now. Morale pegs at maximum for the entire Winter.

Followers (including pre-existing mercenaries and those camping with Shadagrund):

  • Fighter-1. DEX +1, CON -2, INT +1. (25/month).
  • Fighter-2. STR -1, INT -1, WIS +1, CHA +2. (25/month).
  • Fighter-3. CON -2, INT +1, WIS +2. (50/month).
  • Fighter-3. STR +2, CHA +2. (100/month).
  • 200 light infantry (1,200/month).
  • 100 heavy infantry (1,200/month).
  • 30 longbowmen (900/month).
  • 50 light cavalry (1,500/month).
  • 20 heavy cavalry (1,200/month).
  • 60 cataphract cavalry (4,500/month).
  • Total: A staggering 10,700 per month.

The first two months are rough as a result, even with funds brought in by the party slowly working their way around the border and clearing a few dangerous lairs within a hex of Galaufabonne - and even the third month’s sudden bounty (as the number of peasant families tips over the military costs and moves the domain into profit) does not quite make up the debt.

And that’s when Iamanu shows up.

Iamanu turns out to be a dragon, with roughened scales of blackest charcoal, glowing green eyes, and vast, leather wings. No member of the Grim Fist has ever seen a dragon in person before (indeed, few living have), but where most manuscripts describe them as 10-24 feet long, Iamanu is 50 feet long, with a wingspan that rivals some arenas.

The dragon-sized and -fitted crown, rings, and other regalia; steel-tipped claws; and hovering shield with his emblem upon it … are also a bit discomfiting. And it takes a moment before they notice Aella and her archers riding a howdah on his back.

“It has been,” the giant beast rasps in passable Frankish, “a long, long time since I have accepted a vassal.”

Session End
And then I end the session because it’s late and the moment is too perfect, and I have to admit, the “NOOOOOOO” chorus really warmed the darkest corners of my heart.

Next week, dragons and taxes!

GM is sick, so no game this weekend :-(.

Hot damn, what a great update! I'm very excited that your group is moving into the Domain Game.

Looks like I'm getting Domains at War finished just in time...

It was pretty much an epic weekend.

I’m still writing up this weekend’s domain management stuff, but wanted to say: serious kudos on it. We actually had fun crunching numbers! Who would believe … ?

DAW: Actually, I really could have used it earlier (the Battle of Orléans, in particular, was brutal), but we did okay without. It helped to have a spreadsheet with the RANDOM() function!

I will be buying it when it’s finished, for sure.

I'm really pleased to hear that you enjoyed the domain management. Can't wait to read your write-up about it.

The rules for DAW are actually playtested, proof-read and done. I ran DAW sessions at Escapist Expo.

As soon as PC's layout is finished, we're going to lay out DAW into an art-free PDF for our ACKS backers and launch a DAW kickstarter.

If the DAW rules are essentially done, what’s the need for the Kickstarter?

Among other things, art, layout, and printing can all get pretty expensive. Even a PDF product needs the first two.

DAW: Yeah, I’m excited!

Spring, Month 4

Introduction Iamanu is a vast dragon, 14 tons and 50 feet long, with rough, charcoal-black scales and glowing green eyes. He wears a crown, rings, torcs, steel tips on his claws, an enormous ruby amulet, and similar regalia. A howdah is strapped between his wings, 10 feet by 20, within which a dozen archers, a woman in a black burqa, and two mages ride. And a shield hovers nearby, slowly circling the monster.

“It has been,” the giant beast rasps in passable Frankish, “a long, long time since I have accepted a vassal.”

Chlodomer gives a small, sickly smile, “Welcome to Galaufabonne, milord. I fear I have never hosted a dragon before …”

“Save it,” intones the dragon, “I am not here for pleasure.”

Discussion occurs:

  • Iamanu did not own Galaufabonne prior to now. Things change.
  • Iamanu granted Galaufabonne to the Red Duke, who gave the project to Count Abiron, who passed it to a trusted knight, who was recently eaten by Iamanu for incompetence. The Red Duke and retinue are currently in bad graces.
  • Aella is a former member of the Red Duke retinue; he promoted her to this project, answering directly to him. The details are up to her - he is here only to ensure good behavior on all parts.
  • Chlodomer can accept Aella's rulership or not. Hint: One of these is not a real option.

Chlodomer swears fealty. Aella decides to build the road backward (starting from Galaufabonne and heading home) so that she can observe Chlodomer’s rulership style firsthand. She graciously allows Chlodomer to host her in the lavish lifestyle to which she is accustomed.

Chlodomer’s smile gets a little more sickly.

Several things happen this month!

Adventuring An expedition into the Azure Hot Springs clears out two skittering maws - who almost give the entire party a watery grave - and finds the last of the hydra treasures. Galswintha acquires an elven ring of exceptional power (protection +3).
Aella Spends Money Aella requests an interest-free loan from Chlodomer to pay her people. Then she parties like a 12th level character while they slooowly build a road southward.
Hex Management Bugbear Forest Lake - the second ugliest hex and in the bottom half in value - hits a population of 100. Ugly Hill - the ugliest hex and in the bottom third in value - hits a population of 99. They are, in fact, the runaway leaders in population.

It is a mystery with, apparently, no answer.

Total income is -2,000 gold prior to festivals. Chlodomer throws a proper, full festival anyway, and gets perilously close to the red line Galswintha drew on the wall of her accounting office.

Not much of interest happens, otherwise.

A Dream of a Highway Shadagrunde and Vulfelind lay plans for a 150-mile highway following the original dwarven markers. Galswintha nixes it until the money is in better shape.
Diplomacy There are visitors from Orléans and Atanung. Chlodomer handles it with reasonable aplomb keeping the conversation riveted on just how much money everyone stands to make by continued peaceful trade, and just how badly it will go for everyone else if Galaufabonne has to go to war again.

Since tales of what happened to the armies Atanung left strung along the trail last year have grown (and muddied) over time, this seems to satisfy everyone.

Chlodomer does have to backtrack on a statement - he talks up the highway, and, err, accidentally claims credit in front of Shadagrunde. He does backtrack on it, though, and makes sure credit is given appropriately.

Also, Vulfelind’s little secret comes out:

In Spring of last year, the party asked Vulfelind to drop the issue of the Orléans Guild Boss being a wererat, and she left Orléans for a couple weeks of vacation to get over it.

Later, after the Battle of Orléans, they learned that the Orléans Guild Boss had died. It seemed a bit odd, but the timing was wrong for Vulfelind to have been involved.

This Spring, a representative of the new Orléans Guild Boss gave Vulfelind an expensive thank-you gift for “her investment and faith in him”: a small canoe (15 ft x 3 ft) with the same properties as a carpet of flying.

The other members of the Grim Fist put two and two together, and the truth outs: Vulfelind went to Atanung for “vacation,” worked with the Atanung Guild Boss to ensure a reasonably smooth succession in Orléans, hired a small group of assassins, and loaded them up for wererat hunting. Some spying was done to make certain of the targets, and then while Vulfelind and her crew were stabbing the Bandit King to death in a tunnel, the assassins were exterminating the nest in Orléans.

This may have also helped give the Atanung Boss the idea that Orléans was ripe for the plucking, which may have trickled up to the Atanung Governor, which may have resulted in some of that recent military action, but nothing can ever truly be certain in this world, eh?

Shorter version: She didn’t so much drop the issue, as drop it on someone’s head.

OOC: And at some point, I hope to get Vulfelind to write that up from her character’s perspective :-).

Our Lady of Light Shadagrunde takes Chlodomer's monthly tithe and puts it toward a temple adjunct to the central castle ... and begins putting attention toward a congregation.

Within the month, Team Priest has just about sealed up the 20% of the population not following the religious edict. Shadagrunde doesn’t have a workshop or library yet, however, so he continues working on the temple and just maintains the congregation.

Galswintha's Research The sorceress begins her first full magical research project. She refuses to divulge details to anyone.

(OOC: Okay, okay, I know what it is.)

Note: That doesn’t look like much of an update, does it?

This was the first time they really went whole-hog on making the domain profitable (during the epic weekend, they had lots of gold coming out of their ears, so they just focused on the military situation), and everyone had to discuss everything in detail.

And I’m not complaining, it was fun! But “first time slowness” was definitely a factor.

Having to pause the game for a few minutes here and there while I worked out a rule (i.e., the cost of highways) also played into it a bit. That will definitely reduce in the future.

Next week, I am hopeful that we can get 2-3 months done in the same time.

Ironically, in another thread on another site, grumbling grognards have pronounced that ONLY games which are already finished should be Kickstarted.

Here's w hy we'd Kickstart: 

Art: Cover art; interior art; and gameplay art. As a board wargame, DAW is fairly hard to grasp just from text. In additon, we expect the "digital boxed set" to include counters, mapsheets, terrain pieces, and tokens, all of which will require art, too.

Layout: Converting my text into nice, two-column PDFs that can be viewed on screen takes time. It takes additional time to add hyperlinks, indexes, and glossaries. And still further time to make it print compatible.

Printing: We want DAW to be available as softbound books, ideally in a shrinkwrap portfolio or boxed set.

Orders: Kickstarter has generated more orders for our books than any other sales channel, period. Even if the whole thing was finished, it'd just be a great sales channel.

 

Just wanted to say in response to this little sequence of quotes tucked into the last few sessions:

Cameron wrote: Vulfelind meets briefly with Chludwig d'Orléans - head of the Thieves' Guild - whose daughter she had returned to him last time. He wants to make sure that she knows that he knows about their plans for Pegasus Mountain, and that as long as she remembers who's really in charge, he won't tell the Governor what's really going on. She smiles and nods and kisses his ring finger and worries about which of her henches is actually a spy. She also finally pays attention to what he looks like, and realizes that he is probably a wererat.
Cameron wrote: Vulfelind talks to the party, but they're hesitant to take on a Thieves' Guild leader in a major city who is cozy with the Governor, especially when the "spy" is now a double agent on the party's side.

Vulfelind sighs and agrees, but still takes a vacation in Atanung (“anywhere but here”) to put it behind her.

Cameron wrote: A pack of grinning thieves, whose portraits Chludwig sent him months ago, are waiting for him at his exit. His hidden exit. His oh-so-secret exit. One of them, Vulfelind, puts a flaming, magical crossbow bolt into his leg as he slows to a stop.

Albert puts on his most charming smile, “Lovelies, I have allies who will be unhappy if you don’t let me by.”

Vulfelind smiles. The pack swarms the rat lord with magic blades and malice.

Cameron wrote: Some spying was done to make certain of the targets, and then while Vulfelind and her crew were stabbing the Bandit King to death in a tunnel, the assassins were exterminating the nest in Orléans.
I will never, ever play poker with Vulfelind.

Basically, yeah. She has the Old School D&D Player thing nailed, doesn’t she?

Thanks for the insight on your reasoning behind the DAW Kickstarter.

I have to agree with you that Kickstarter is a great sales channel. I know it’s just one data point but, outside of the ACKS rulebook, every single fantasy games purchase I’ve made in the last year has been a Kickstarter project (if you exclude me trolling for old Dragon mags at my local shop).

Session 22
Spring, Month 5
Hex Management

Galaufabonne's monthly income exceeds its expenses for the first time.

This would have happened earlier, but the Grim Fist continues to maintain a grossly oversized militia.

Torn Tree Hill, from which the Galaufchulis tree is visible in the distance, and whose exposed mineral veins make it one of the three most valuable territories in Galaufabonne, reaches a population of 100 peasant families, mostly miners.

Azure Hot Springs also reaches 100 peasant families … and while not as valuable a territory, its stunning beauty makes it a favored spot for the adventurers to visit.


Adventuring

Or maybe it's the monsters still lurking in the deepest caves below the springs.

Grilled giant piranha, it turns out, is good eating.

The Shadowed Lake territory reports an invasion of giant insects who turn out to be burrowing, 10-foot-long monsters. Watching from a safe distance, the peasants cheer as Chlodomer and Haramer, chained to the surface, stalk down each tube in turn and drag the insect’s beaten corpse to the surface. This ends up taking a few days, as healing is not unlimited, but by the end of it, the ankhegs are scoured.


Aella

Aella borrows Chlodomer's light and heavy infantry to help clear the path home - he sends Haramer to actually lead the soldiers, as he is still uncertain of Aella's tactical sense ... or willingness to let his people die. She continues to live luxuriously on his funds, and Galswintha points out that if Chlodomer wasn't paying for it out of his own pocket, Galaufabonne would be in the red.

The Grim Fist hold a meeting, and come to a purely financial conclusion: Aella has to go home. Soon.

Everyone chips in, mid-month, to put together enough money to build her road for her … in half the time. Vulfelind groans, “Are we always going to end up doing her job for her?” And then they take the portion of the army she hasn’t commandeered, and blaze a trail south to …

A surprisingly beautiful coast of craggy cliffs and white sand, with three small island mountains visible a few miles out. All of the Frankish territories are north of this area, so Shadagrunde’s extensive (and growing) map collection mostly just assumes “more land” in this direction.

Aella points out her island, as well as one of Iamanu’s favored cliffside caverns. A short boat ride later, her personal army begin setting up waypoints along the highway the Grim Fist built, and Chlodomer returns home with his once-again-complete army.


Magical Research

Shadagrunde's library and workshop continue to be built.

Galswintha’s first research project continues to be the most secret of secrets.


OOC Notes

This was another slow session, although at least we knew what we were doing this time. There was a great deal of discussion about the Aella financial situation: mainly, that theoretically, building her highway for her would pay for itself, but in practical terms, would take the Grim Fist right down to the thick red line, so if there was another financial crisis ...

So they sat down and crunched the numbers in detail, and blew most of an hour deciding that it was worth kicking the medusa south so they could start making a profit on the lands.

Small extended family emergency yesterday, which is when I usually have time to write my notes up into usable format. I will either do a short-ish update tomorrow, or a substantial update next weekend.